In the mid-1980s, Marvel was riding a wave of success, both creatively and financially. Having navigated the turbulent waters of the late '70s, bolstered by the Star Wars phenomenon, Marvel was poised to revolutionize the comic book industry with the release of 1984's Secret Wars. This landmark series had profound impacts on the Marvel Universe and the industry as a whole, setting new trajectories for its iconic characters.

During this period, Marvel also produced other legendary narratives such as Frank Miller's Born Again arc in Daredevil, the resurrection of Jean Grey in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor, among others. In this article, we delve into these pivotal developments and other significant stories from this era. Welcome to Part 8 of our journey through Marvel's essential issues!

More Essential Marvel

1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe
1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws
1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever
1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died
1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime
1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy
1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?
Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga

For standout stories from this era, look no further than Born Again, where Frank Miller returned to write Daredevil in issues #227-233. With David Mazzuchelli's art, this arc is widely considered the definitive Daredevil story. It begins with Karen Page, battling addiction, selling Daredevil’s secret identity for drugs, which eventually falls into the Kingpin’s hands. Using this information, Kingpin systematically destroys Matt Murdock’s life, stripping him of his home, career, and social circle, driving him to rock bottom. Only the intervention of his mother, a nun named Maggie, saves him. Matt’s gradual resurgence as Daredevil, alongside Kingpin’s descent into fanaticism, crafts a gripping narrative. This story inspired Season 3 of Netflix’s Daredevil and will influence the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again

Simultaneously, Walt Simonson's work on Thor from 1983, starting with issue #337, introduced Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Simonson's run revitalized Thor with a mythic fantasy vibe, culminating in the year-long Surtur Saga from issues #340-353. Here, the fire demon Surtur, ruler of Muspelheim, aims to trigger Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword. He dispatches Malekith the Accursed to delay Thor, allowing time to forge the sword. The saga's climax sees Thor, Loki, and Odin unite against Surtur. Elements of this saga were later adapted into Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

In Part 4 of this series, we explored how the 1973 Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossovers that would become a staple for Marvel and DC. This trend materialized fully with 1984's Secret Wars, a 12-issue miniseries crafted by Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. Initiated as a marketing synergy with Mattel for a toy line, the plot is straightforward: the Beyonder, a cosmic entity, transports a diverse group of Marvel heroes and villains to Battleworld to determine the supremacy of good or evil. While the series is lauded for its expansive cast and universe-altering consequences, it often lacks depth, with some characters, notably the X-Men, acting out of character. The series birthed a sequel, Secret Wars II, and alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, it cemented the event model in comics.

Secret Wars #1

Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories

Following Stan Lee and Gerry Conway’s influential runs, Roger Stern took the helm of Amazing Spider-Man with issue #224, bringing back the high-quality storytelling expected from Marvel’s flagship hero. Stern introduced the Hobgoblin in issue #238, creating one of Spider-Man's most formidable adversaries. Though his original saga ended prematurely at issue #251 due to editorial disputes, Stern later completed the story in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

Just as Stern departed, Amazing Spider-Man #252 introduced the black symbiote costume, originating from Secret Wars #8. This alien symbiote's debut sparked a subplot that eventually led to the emergence of one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains. The black costume became Spider-Man's most recognized alternate look and has been adapted across various media, including Spider-Man 3, animated series, and video games. Another significant story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a darker tale involving Spider-Man's pursuit of the Sin-Eater, who killed his ally Jean DeWolff, and his subsequent conflict with Daredevil.

Spectacular Spider-Man #107

Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks

The mid-1980s were also a transformative time for Marvel's mutants. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 confirmed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a revelation that stood for decades. X-Men #171 saw Rogue leave the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to join the X-Men, becoming a beloved heroine. X-Men #200 featured Magneto's trial, leading to his role as head of Xavier's School for the Gifted, a storyline echoed in the second episode of X-Men '97.

The most impactful mutant developments were Jean Grey's resurrection and the debut of Apocalypse. After the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean returned in Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, with no memory of her time as Phoenix. She then reunited with the original X-Men to form X-Factor. Apocalypse, introduced in X-Factor #5-6, quickly became a central villain in the X-Men universe, appearing in numerous adaptations, including the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.

X-Factor #1